People Change
by PinkPineapple
Summary: What will happen to the gang in the aftermath of 'Tomorrow'? (C/A fanfic) NOW COMPLETE
1. Revelations

Title: People Change  
  
Author: PinkPineapple  
  
Summary: What will happen to the gang in the aftermath of 'Tomorrow'  
  
Pairing: C/A  
  
Rated: PG-13  
  
Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me, I only borrow them  
  
Chapter 1/?  
  
Justine led Steven away from the water. "We did the right thing," she assured him.  
  
"Of course we did, Angelus deserves this."  
  
"Yes, we're finishing off what Holtz started."  
  
"That 'thing' killed my father, he's more evil than I had imagined he would be." Steven glared at Justine, who looked slightly taken aback.  
  
"Absolutely. What can you expect from a vampire? He's a demon, he's evil." Justine pulled her leather jacket tighter around her, refusing to look at Steven. She could still feel herself in that alley, taking the life of the man that had shown her the way. It had felt like betrayal, even though it had been what he wanted. She has done countless bad things in her life, but it had been one of the hardest things she had ever had to do. She knew she had to get away from Steven quickly, his talk of his 'father' dug deep into the wounds that had not even begun to heal.  
  
"Maybe we should have just killed him. What if someone finds him?" Justine did not want to admit it to herself, but she was afraid of what might happen to her if Angel escaped and came to find the real killer.  
  
"This way, he gets to live forever, like I already said, he does not deserve to die. I do not think anybody will find him under all of the water." Steven scowled, an evil glint in his eye.  
  
"You're right. There's nothing to worry about. Well, I gotta go. See you around." Justine could not get away quick enough. No matter how evil this kid looked and acted, he was still young and she was lying to him.  
  
They went their separate ways, just as Wesley stepped out of the shadows. "Good lord," he mumbled.  
  
***  
  
Cordelia floated up in the sky, bathed in light. She wondered what awaited her up there, she was afraid of what she would have to do, she did not even know who she was any more. She was a 'higher being', whatever that meant. She had made the right decision, she was sure of it. Even so, she was torn up inside. She found it hard to believe that she had been taken away from Angel, without being able to tell him that she was in love with him. She needed to know how he felt about her, whether anything could come of it.  
  
She knew she should just stop thinking like this and tried to push the thoughts away. As she did this, something struck her. Maybe their love was destined to end badly and the Powers were simply protecting their two warriors from more pain. Cordelia had been there to experience Angel's love for Buffy, and they all knew how badly that had turned out. It was possible that the PTB were protecting not only their warriors but the rest of the world from Angelus.  
  
Her thoughts were cut off as the light intensified and Cordelia felt herself being pulled onto a comfortable chair. She looked around her, she was in a large, almost empty room, that was filled with a peaceful blue light. She almost did not notice the other figure in the room, a blue skinned creature that looked almost human. Her beauty was overwhelming and took Cordelia's breath away. She simply smiled and stepped towards her visitor. Her long, flowing dress surrounded her like a cloud, it seemed more like she was floating than walking.  
  
"I'm guessing you like blue." Cordelia broke the ice. She was no longer afraid, she felt at ease in the blue room.  
  
"You could say that. It has a calming effect."  
  
Cordelia did not disagree. "What's going to happen to me?" She smiled apprehensively.  
  
"All will be revealed." The creature looked away.  
  
"Oh please, don't I deserve more than your vague, imprecise statements." All her emotions started to spill out. "I've just figured out that I'm in love with my best friend, who has now been taken away from me. I would like to know why." A single tear fell down her cheek.  
  
"Don't cry," she said softly, she sounded almost sad. "It is not in my power to tell you, I truly wish I could help you more. I know how hard this is."  
  
"You were once human too?" Cordelia suddenly realised.  
  
"We all change, go on to better or worse places. It's just life."  
  
"When will I find out?"  
  
"Soon enough." She pointed to an opening that had appeared on their right. "It was an honour meeting you Cordelia, you're destined to go far."  
  
"So they keep telling me. Well, I guess I'd better go. It was nice meeting you." As she left, a second creature materialised in the middle of the room. This creature was male and not quite as attractive as the first.  
  
"What do you think?"  
  
"She is unsure, she is in love." His voice held no emotion.  
  
"But her heart is true. Many good things await her." She turned to her companion. "She's been through alot, she's extremely strong."  
  
"I know, but I wonder if she will be willing to make the sacrifice..."  
  
"This one is special, different from the others." She insisted.  
  
"You do not know what you are talking about, you have not known love. It burns, distracts, people do crazy things for love." He was impatient.  
  
"This has nothing to do with me. Tell me you did not sense her potential."  
  
He said nothing.  
  
***  
  
Wesley sat awake in his apartment, wondering what to do. When he had started following Justine, trying to find out about the strange reappearance of Angel's now older son, he had not even begun to imagine what he may find out. With his job, which he no longer had, he reminded himself, he was used to shocks and the impossible happening. This was too much, even for Wesley to accept. First of all, he had to ask himself if Angel had really killed Holtz. It was possible, he thought, the man had taken his child away into another dimension and Wesley had experienced first hand exactly how far Angel had been prepared to go. Wesley shuddered as he remembered the rage painted on Angel's face as he attacked him, before everything went black.  
  
Everything replayed continuously in Wesley's mind. He remembered truly believing that he was doing the right thing, that he was protecting an innocent, when in fact he was simply betraying a friend, someone who had trusted him with his son's life. He should have known thay Justine was fooling him, but yet again he was mistaken. He knew that he had made some bad decisions in the past, but he had believed for once that he was finally making the correct choice.  
  
Thinking about Justine, he began to wonder if she was misleading this 'Steven' also. He would not put it past her to lie to even such a young boy. Wesley knew now that he had to do something, anything to help save Angel, he really was the only one who could help him. As he headed for the door, he stopped. He had no idea where he was going, he had no one to turn to. His 'friends' had made it clear that he was no wanted, that he had betrayed them aswell as Angel.  
  
He had not believed that he could have talked to them. He had found the prophecy when he felt completely alone. Gunn and Fred had ended up together, they tore him up inside but they were oblivious to him. Cordelia and the Groosalugg were the new happy couple and Angel had Connor. Wesley could never have told Angel about the prophecy, he would never have believed it, he loved his son. Looking back, Wesley wondered why he had not doubted more, why he could not have seen how genuine Angel's love was. He had been manipulated, by Angel's enemies, and his friends had not understood.  
  
Wesley had thought that he could explain to them all what had happened, as he lay bleeding to death in the park. He just wanted them to know, to realise he thought it had been the right thing. He was wrong, his friends did not understand and Cordelia had not even been to see him. He thought of going to her now, explaining about Angel, but he found that he no longer cared. With the best intentions, he had betrayed them all and they turned their backs on him. Now it was his turn. He no longer cared if Angel stayed at the bottom of the ocean...  
  
***  
  
"Where is everyone?"  
  
Gunn and Fred stood alone in the Hyperion. They had no idea what to do. Angel and Cordelia were nowhere to be found and were not answering their phones. Connor had simply disappeared, they feared that something had happened yet again when they were supposed to be taking care of him. A feeling of dread build itself up in Fred's chest.  
  
"This is bad." She stated.  
  
"Maybe not..." Gunn started. "Oh, who am I kiddin'? Things are always bad."  
  
"We have to do something."  
  
"You're right. Angel said he was going to Point Dume, right? Let's start there." Gunn grabbed the keys to his truck.  
  
"Good plan. Do you think we need weapons, we might get attacked, the others may be in a big fight and they might need help, what if they're dead, and we're just standing here, we would never know, and -"  
  
"Fred," Gunn interrupted, "Calm down, everything will be alright."  
  
But everything would not be alright, they soon realised. Angel's car sat abandoned at the Point, and Angel was nowhere to be seen.  
  
"This is bad." Fred stated again. She spied something far below on the rocks. Before Gunn could stop her, she started to make her way down. When he caught up with her, she was already at the bottom. She had a small object in her hand.  
  
"Angel's cellphone." She announced.  
  
"This is bad, Gunn confirmed." 


	2. New Directions

After a night of troubled sleep, Wesley woke up with a stronger resolve. He said to himself that if any of the others came to ask for his help, he would give it, but he was not going to intervene and further tangle himself in the mess. Even so, he wished to know the truth and decided to pay a visit to Justine.  
  
Before he left, the phone rang. He left it ringing for a while, until he grew too curious.  
  
"Hey, Wes." It was Lilah. "I hope you're not busy. No, of course you're not, how could I forgot."  
  
"What do you want?" His tone was bored, she wasn't buying into it.  
  
"That's nice, how about 'thanks for a lovely evening'?"  
  
"What do you want? I'm not joining you to fight against Angel, I doubt he's a threat to you any longer." Wesley almost regretted these words. Almost...  
  
"Really?" she sounded impressed, "did you kill the bastard? Didn't think you had it in you..."  
  
"No, are we done yet?"  
  
"We're only just getting started."  
  
"Well I'm done." With that, he hung up the phone. Satisfied with himself, he grabbed his jacket and headed for the door, only to find Lilah waiting for him on the doorstep.  
  
"Didn't think you could get rid of me that easily did you?" She smiled at him.  
  
"Frankly, I don't care."  
  
"Tell me more about Angel. "  
  
"Get over him, there are other things to life, you know."  
  
"I suppose you're living proof of that, with all the joy that you're experiencing now that he wants nothing to do with you." Wesley said nothing, he simply stared past Lilah. "You were going out? Don't let me keep you, I'm sure whatever it is you have to do is quite important."  
  
Before she had finished talking, Wesley had already left. He took off on foot, instinctively keeping to the shadows that now defined his life. He made his way to the small apartment where he knew Justine was staying. It was clear to Wesley that confronting Justine would not be easy. She was practically a slayer. This was one of the last places Wesley wanted to be, but he felt that he had to do something, he was the only one that could help right now.  
  
Instead of knocking, Wesley simply took a deep breath and kicked down the dor to the apartment. Expecting Justine to pounce on him at any moment, he leaped into the room with a crossbow in his hand. True to her nature, Justine responded readily to the attack, but Wesley had had the surprise advantage. With a single blow he knocked her over and she lay motionless on the floor. He knew that he had not hit her hard enough for her to be unconscious, he would no longer be fooled by her tricks.  
  
"Get up!" Wesley pointed the crossbow at her. She did not make any effort to get up, she simply turned to look at Wesley.  
  
"Just shoot me, go ahead."  
  
"You don't think I would?"  
  
"I know you would, I deserve it after all I've done." She looked, helplessly at Wesley. He swore to himself that he would not fall for it.  
  
"Don't play games with me."  
  
She sat up. "I've stopped playing games. I've lost everything good that I ever had to the evils of this world, it's finally getting to me. I don't want to fight anymore, I've achieved nothing."  
  
"Joining forces with Holtz was not battling evil, he fought a personal war of his own." Wesley had not missed the flash of pain across Justine's face at the mention of his name, a brief flash that was gone in an instant and replaced with a scowl.  
  
"Are you saying that the crimes of Angelus were not evil? He's a vampire, a threat to humans, no matter what his 'mission' is."  
  
"Angel is paying for his crimes, working for redemption, helping the helpless."  
  
She rolled her eyes, "don't feed me that bullshit, I've heard it all before."  
  
"Well maybe you should listen. Angel is a good man."  
  
"A man? I don't think so. And he's not exactly been good to you, or so I hear." She knew that she had hit a sore spot. She used Wesley's hesitation to her advantage and made her move. Before he realised what was happening, she had grabbed the weapon from his hand and it was now pointed at his neck. "You're stronger than I had first thought. You survived your first neck wound, I wonder what will happen with the second..."  
  
Wesley said nothing, he did not move.  
  
"Why aren't you begging for your life? you really don't care, do you? whether you live or die, I mean. I didn't, right after I killed Holtz. I thought about ending it all, right there, but I had to respect his wishes."  
  
"You killed Holtz?" Wesley was stunned. He had been suspicious, but he had not thought she could have done such a thing.  
  
"Well, yes, had to, just like now I have to kill you."  
  
She clicked the release on the crossbow, just as she heard a voice behind her, "I don't think so." Steven's slender frame darted towards her and removed her weapon, leaving her stunned. Wesley seized the opportunity to grab her.  
  
"You killed my father? how could you."  
  
She made no effort to deny it, she no longer cared. "It was what he wanted, it was his final act of vengance, knowing that you would believe it was Angelus."  
  
"No, you lie. He loved me, he would not do that." Steven refused to believe that Holtz's hate for the vampire could be more important than his love for his son.  
  
Wesley dropped Justine and turned to go. He no longer cared for the situation, there were too many feelings of betrayal, hate, love and deceit. He could not stand to look at Justine, think of what she had done, how the evil in the world had made her what she was. He did not think that her soul could be saved and he did not want to try and help her. It made him sick because the same thing was happening to him, his good deeds turned sour on him and he could only feel pain and dispair.  
  
The others let him go, they watched the dejected man leave with his head hung low and the sight would have moved them if they had not been caught up in their own feelings. This was far from over.  
  
***  
  
Cordelia had only just stepped out of the room when she was called back in.  
  
The blue creature greeted her once again. "Cordelia, we have been discussing you."  
  
"But I was only gone, like, two seconds." she was puzzled.  
  
"Time has no relevance here. It would not do to keep you waiting."  
  
"Right, I'll remember that. Higher being. higher place. Can you give me some answers now at least?"  
  
"I can only do my best." she smiled.  
  
"What will happen to Angel? He needs my visions..."  
  
"I cannot-" She was interrupted by her male companion, who Cordelia had not noticed in her impatience.  
  
"The champion is no longer your concern, nor is he ours."  
  
"He's dead?" Cordelia choked.  
  
"No, I'm sorry, I misled you. He does not need the visions, he does not fight any more. You are continuiing the fight." He nodded to Cordelia. "You have made a wise decision."  
  
"Something has happened," she cried, "you have to send me back!"  
  
"You cannot do anything," the creature insisted, more firmly this time. "You are more important now."  
  
"I love him." she wept.  
  
"You cannot let love get in the way of the fight against evil. There is no time for feelings here."  
  
"But you said time is not important."  
  
"Time may not be relevant here, but it is essential. It represents the cycle, continuity. We cannot pause the battle."  
  
"I get it, I really do, it's just so hard. Will it get any easier?" She sat down again and closed her eyes.  
  
"It does not, the fight is always difficult, you haven't even begun yet. You will learn to accept it." They were glad to see that she had accepted her mission in her mind and had begun to understand what she was doing. What lay ahead was still unclear... 


	3. Deep Thoughts

Angel lay in his box underwater, trying to figure out exactly what he had done wrong. He had always tried so hard to do the right thing, but now he say that he had not done enough. In his joy of having his son back, he had let his guard down. He tried to figure out what had happened, why Connor would think that he had killed Holtz. The more he thought about it, the more it did not make sense. He reasoned that Connor must have seen Holtz's body with bite marks and gotten the wrong idea.  
  
It made no sense that Holtz had been killed by a vampire. Angel could not imagine the man that had hunted him for such a long time being defeated in such a way. Besides, vampires did not like to feed off old flesh, preferring the warm, tasty blood of a young victim...  
  
Angel had to stop himself from thinking about blood, he was going lightheaded from hunger. He did not know how long he would last, what he would tun into if he did not feed. He wondered what fish blood tasted like. No, he was being ridiculous, it was not as if he could reach out and grab one of the sea creatures that were swimming round him, mocking him in his prison. Now he was going insane, he could feel it.  
  
It was making him insane to think of Cordelia and what might have happened on the Point. Did she love him? What had she wanted to say to him? He wanted to know if she have any idea what had happened to him. She may have simply thought that he had ran away as soon as she had called, fearing what she might say and expect. He closed his eyes and imagined taking her in his arms and assuring her that everything would be alright. These thoughts were making him crazy, but it kept him on the verge of sanity, knowing that she was out there and one day he might see her again.  
  
***  
  
As Wesley sat in his apartment he thought how much easier it would be if he were to accept Lilah's offer. There was a great deal of advantages that she had already listed, he knew that he would never have anything to worry about ever again. He was tempted and there only remained the question of whether or not he not only turn his back on Angel Investigations but turn against the people that he had worked alongside for almost three years. They had shown him that he was no longer welcome after his 'betrayal'.  
  
Throughout his whole life, Wesley had been nothing but a failure. After being fired by the council, he had found himself in LA where he met up with Angel. For the first time in his life, things started to go well and he felt that he had found his place fighting the forces of darkness. In his never-ending struggle, he had always tried his best, but in the end he had been defeated and the good had turned against him. At first he had thought of joining Wolfram and Hart and taking them apart from the inside, but he knew that he would never succeed. He could not destroy evil and no longer wanted to attempt it. These crazy thoughts were dismissed, flickering away and leaving his cold, empty heart. As time passed, tiny glimmers of hope grew less frequent and he came closer to his final decision.  
  
***  
  
The blue light in the roon had slowly faded to be replaced with a brighter, yellow light. The two creatures talked quietly, they were no longer calm and composed. They both looked anxious; he was pacing and she was fidgeting with her clothing. Cordelia sat on the other side of the room, aware that something was happening although oblivious to the nature of the matter. Finally they approached her. She did not dare to ask what the problem was, it was unlikely that they would tell her exactly anyway, they were always so vague.  
  
"Something big is coming down there." The female started, unable to provide her usual smile.  
  
"And you need my help?" Cordelia guessed. "I'll do whatever it takes to help."  
  
"It may not be wise. It is too soon." The creature had a frown on his face.  
  
"You need me. I want to help." Cordelia assured them. "I can't sit here and do nothing."  
  
"She is right."His answer surprised them both. He addressed Cordelia, reaching a decision. "You will go, but you must not tell anyone about your new status, not until you have to leave."  
  
"When will I have to leave?"  
  
"We will let you know." His companion looked at him questionably. She did not contradict him, she trusted him completely, she was simply puzzled.  
  
"What should I tell them?"  
  
"You will have to figure it all out. It won't be easy, but you are prepared to do this." This was a statement, not a question, but Cordelia nodded, giving her consent.  
  
"What is happening down there?" Cordelia did not expect an answer.  
  
"You will find out soon." She smiled and Cordelia sighed.  
  
"To tell you the truth, we honestly don't know. We can sense something, but we won't have more information until closer to the time." He was warming remarkably to Cordelia.  
  
"When do I leave?" She attempted to look positive, she had had lots of practice at hiding her worries.  
  
"We'll send you now. Remember, though, don't let-"  
  
"-love get in the way of the fight." she finished. She smiled and in a flash of light she was gone.  
  
"I've never seen you act like this before. There is something special about her, isn't there?" The now yellow being looked up at her friend as he stared at the glow that remained.  
  
"She is quite spectacular." He closed his eyes, and he too was gone.  
  
***  
  
Cordelia found herself outside the hotel, it was was starting to go dark. She stayed outside for a moment, taking in the air and preparing herself for whatever awaited her. She was nervous about seeing Angel, she had stood him up after all. Then, she thought, maybe they had transported her back the same day, it was night after all. She did not think that she had been gone for a whole day.  
  
She entered the hotel and two figures came rushing towards her. It was Fred and Gunn.  
  
"Cordy, where have you been? We were so worried." Fred gushed.  
  
"I had some things to think about." Cordelia smiled brightly at them.  
  
"You and Angel must have had lots to talk about. I'm glad you guys finally figured things out. You did right? I really am happy, but you could have called, a whole day and me and Charles, we had no idea where you were."  
  
"Fred, slow down, look you're scaring the girl." Cordelia did have a panicked look on her face.  
  
"I'm sorry." Fred blushed.  
  
"What is it Cordy?" Gunn looked worried.  
  
"I never met Angel" she was pale.  
  
"Oh." They both said together. Fred's grin slowly faded. "He was awfully happy when he left, you don't think he was too happy, do you?" Cordelia shook her head.  
  
Angel had been happy about meeting her, Cordelia sighed. This was harder than she had ever imagined. She pushed her thoughts away, she could not think like that, when there was no possibility.  
  
"So he just didn't show up?" Gunn finally asked.  
  
"No, I didn't show up." The others were silent, they took this in. Cordelia offered no explanation and they did not want to ask her.  
  
"So, you think he's off brooding somewhere?"  
  
"It's got to be more than that. I just have this feeling." she could not tell them that the feeling came from her two new friends that had said that her champion was no longer their concern. She wished that she had questioned them further at the time. It was too late to regret that now, she knew, although they probably would not have told her anyway.  
  
"What else is this feeling telling you?" Gunn was skeptical.  
  
"Well, he's not dead, that's for sure. Not any more dead than usual, that is"  
  
"Well, that's helpful... What do you intend on doing? We've been everywhere we could think of... except, well, you know..." Gunn needed answers, not just 'feelings'.  
  
"I've been meaning to pay Lilah a visit..." 


	4. Searching for the Truth

"You think this has an evil lawyer ring to it?" Gunn questioned.  
  
"It wouldn't be the first time they've pulled something on us. We need a place to start in any case." Cordelia prepared herself to leave.  
  
"We'll come with you." Fred told her.  
  
"No-" Cordelia started, but she was interrupted by the arrival of a worried looking man. He looked about thirty and his dress was smart, but casual.  
  
"Is this Angel Investigations?" He held up a flyer. "I need some help."  
  
"Yes, of course, that's what we do. Fred and Gunn here will take care of you, whatever the problem is." Cordelia flashed the man a sympathetic smile.  
  
He looked doubtful, "Well, I warn you, it is a bit weird."  
  
"That's our speciality." Her two friends looked at her, unsure. Cordelia pulled them to one side. "Guys, you're not exactly inspiring much confidence."  
  
"But Angel-" Fred started.  
  
"I'm on it, you deal with the client. We have to keep the business running, stick to the mission, whatever happens. People still need to be helped."  
  
"Cordy, you shouldn't go out alone."  
  
"I can take care of myself, call me on my cell phone if you need me." She wondered when she had changed into a new set of clothes and picked up a bag that contained her cell phone. It was going to take a lot of getting used to. "I'll be fine." She seemed to be assuring herself more than the others.  
  
Before they could protest, she was already on her way out of the hotel.  
  
"When did Cordy become the boss?" Gunn mumbled.  
  
"We weren't doing much good on our own, Charles." Fred reasoned.  
  
Gunn called out to the client who looked like he was about to follow Cordy out of the door. "What's your problem, then?"  
  
"Excuse me?" The man was shocked by Gunn's unfriendly tone.  
  
"What do you need our help with?" Fred gave Gunn a sharp look.  
  
"Oh, right." The man looked relieved. "I think my wife is being stalked."  
  
Fred looked confused. "What's so unusual about that?" She realised what she had just said. "Well, obviously, it's not normal, but you said there was something 'weird' about it."  
  
"Whatever it is that's following her, it doesn't seem to be, well, human." He looked as if he did not even believe what he was saying.  
  
"What makes you so sure?"  
  
"She's never seen him clearly, just a figure in the distance. But the way he moves, it's so fast. He jumped really high, abnormally high. You don't seem shocked by what I'm saying. Have you seen something like this before?"  
  
"Not exactly, but similar." Gunn sighed. "There are a lot of weird things in LA."  
  
***  
  
It was dark when Cordelia arrived at Lilah's apartment. This was the last place that she wanted to be, but she had to do this, had to find Angel. She knocked on the door, taking a deep breath.  
  
"Cordelia, what a nice surprise! You stopped by for a chat of course." Lilah accompanied her sarcastic tone with a visibly fake smile.  
  
"I'm really not in the mood for a bitch fight with you." Cordelia folded her arms across her chest.  
  
"Straight down to business then? Angel not with you?" She smiled, "no, of course he isn't."  
  
"What do you know?" Cordelia demanded.  
  
"You don't know where he is?"  
  
"Do you?" Cordelia's eyes started to glow. Lilah looked slightly taken aback.  
  
"I honestly don't. But I think I know someone who might. Someone who's in a pretty low place right now."  
  
Cordelia looked puzzled for a second, then she realised who she meant. "Wesley?" Lilah grinned. "Don't even think of taking advantage of him."  
  
"I didn't have to."  
  
"Are you saying Wesley did something to Angel."  
  
"I'm not saying anything." Lilah chuckled to herself as Cordelia stormed off.  
  
As Cordelia made her way over to Wesley's apartment, lists of possibilities ran through her mind. At first she dismissed all thoughts that Wesley could have done something to Angel, but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. The others had told her that Wesley had been acting crazy when he had found the prophecy, but they had been too wrapped up in themselves to notice the severity. This had probably just made it worse.  
  
She regretted deeply that she had been away when he had taken Connor, that she had been unable to help and oblivious to what was going on. She could not imagine what had gone through his mind when Justine had attacked him and taken the baby, or when Angel had tried to kill him in the hospital. Even so, she could not begin to justify him if he had taken some vengeful action against Angel.  
  
When Cordelia arrived at Wesley's, she calmed herself down and tried not to jump to conclusions. She knocked on his door. He took a while to answer, she was almost ready to turn away when the door opened. He looked genuinely shocked to see her.  
  
"Cordelia, what a nice sur-" He was cut off by Cordelia's question.  
  
"Wesley, do you know where Angel is?"  
  
"I'm fine thank you, feeling quite betternow." Wesley's tone angered Cordelia, she could no longer contain her emotions.  
  
"What did you do to Angel?"  
  
"How dare you come here and accuse me! How could you think that I would do anything, after all we've been through?" He stared her in the eyes and she stared straight back. Once again her eyes had started to glow with bright white light as she experienced a range of emotions. Wesley did not even move, he did not react at all to this strange display. As Cordelia stared into the darkness of his eyes she saw nothing, not even a reflection of the pure white light that shone brightly in the dim room. She was shocked, even Lilah had reacted to a similar demonstration and she was an evil bitch. It was like he was empty, there was only darkness left, that destroyed all feelings and emotions.  
  
"Wesley, I'm sorry, I-"she choked as Wesley continued to stare at her, vacantly.  
  
"Please leave now," he said, tonelessly.  
  
"But-"  
  
"Goodbye."  
  
***  
  
As the night progressed, Steven wandered through the streets of LA, not knowing where he was and not caring. He was still mourning the loss of his father and he was too confused to know what he wanted. When he had heard Justine say that she had killed him, every bone in his body wanted to pound her, make her suffer for what she had done. But he couldn't do it, he didn't know what to do anymore. So he had turned around and ran away. He stopped after awhile, when he was far away from anything that he recognised.  
  
He knew that he would have to go back, he could not live with himself if he simply did nothing. He had to know the truth, had to know why his father had died. He knew who he had wanted to go and talk to, the one he found that he could relate to. The one who knew hate, confusion and dispair, the one his father had told him about. The one who had turned against the vampire and taken away his son, the one with the strange accent.  
  
TBC... 


	5. Needs

Part 5: Needs  
  
It was late when Cordelia arrived back at the hotel. She had walked around for a while, not knowing where to go or what to do. In a way, she was looking, waiting for guidance, for a clue of what had happened. She found nothing. Despite the late hour and the amount of walking she had done, she did not feel tired. As she continued through the streets, she was no less determined to find Angel, but she felt hopeless and almost desperate.  
  
Although it was past midnight when Cordelia returned, Fred and Gunn were still at the hotel, sorting through the files and books that were spread over the office. Cordelia regretted the fact that she had left the two of them with all the work, while she had accomplished nothing. She reasoned that she would not have been able to work in the office without knowing, without trying to do something.  
  
Fred put down the book she was frowning at when Cordelia walked in. "Any luck?" she asked hopefully.  
  
Cordelia simply shook her head. "We'll work it out, we always do." She smiled faintly, deciding to hide her insecurities. Despite their faith in her, the others did not look convinced.  
  
"What did you find out? You were gone a long time. Those lawyers know anything?" Gunn wanted to know.  
  
"No... I though they did, but it didn't work out. I was following up some leads..." She trailed off, not wanting to tell them about Wesley. "You guys should get some rest, I'll clear up here."  
  
"Cordy, you should get some sleep too..." Fred was not as talkative as usual.  
  
"I've got a few things to do, then I will, promise." She attempted to smile, comforting herself aswell as the others.  
  
"I think I'll stay here tonight." Gunn decided. "Don't want anything to happen."  
  
"Protect the womenfolk..." she trailed off, the tears pricking her eyes threatening to fall. Calmly, she took a deep breath. "I appreciate it, Gunn. What did you find about the client?"  
  
"We were doing some research, looking at the facts," Fred gestured to the books lying on the desk. "But we really don't have much to go on, and we're not exactly good at this type of thing."  
  
"I'm sure we'll figure it out. Get some rest and try again in the morning. We can hit the streets and see if we find anything."  
  
"Maybe you'll have a vision?" Gunn wondered.  
  
"I don't exactly control them..." As she said this, a through struck her. She did not even know whether she got the visions any more, or how she could use her powers. Nothing had been told to her and she was unsure of how to explore them. So far she had used them without truly being in control, it had just happened instinctively.  
  
Cordelia continued to think about this as Fred and Gunn made their ways upstairs and she sat alone in the lobby. As thoughts and possibilities crowded her mind, she made the obvious decision that her priority would be to somehow induce a vision of where Angel was. The client was important, but did not seem to be in life-threatening danger and the others were working on it.  
  
After deciding to surround herself with Angel's things, she made her way up the stairs to his room. She had expected to be comforted by familiar items, but the place felt empty without him there. Listening to the silence, she waited for him to appear behind her, in the stealthly manner which was his custom and had surprised her so many times in the past. She waited, but he did not come. When she turned around she saw only a familiar leather duster flung accross a chair. A tear slid down her cheek as her had filled with pictures of Angel in the same leather coat. As she stood without moving, her vivid memories were almost like visions, she could see as clearly as if she was actually there.  
  
She could see Angel laughing, grinning in his goofy way. She saw him hugging her after he had rescued her, happy that she was safe. When the images started to fade, she began to understand their message. It was her turn to do the saving, she had to rescue him now. "I will come for you, Angel." She whispered.  
  
As she sank into the depths of the chair, she pulled Angel's coat around her, surrounding herself in him. A new determination had taken over her. "You need me and I will find you, wherever you are. I need you more than ever right now." Her tears continued to fall, as she remembered the strange creatures and their words. When she found him, she would not be able to stay, to declare her feelings for him. She would have to be strong, it would be the hardest thing she had ever done. "I love you." She sobbed to the empty room, safe in the knowledge that he would not hear.  
  
She felt suddenly drained, exhaustion was finally catching up with her. She relaxed into the chair as her flow of emotions and thoughts finally stopped and was replaced with dreams.  
  
***  
  
"I love you." The words were spoken softly, but meaningfully.  
  
Angel knew he was dreaming, but hope still flared up inside him. He kept his eyes closed, not wanting to open them and see nothing but darkness, the face of Cordelia banished to the memory of a dream.  
  
His closed eyes did not open to see the protective glow of the light surrounding the box, keeping him safe until she could come.  
  
***  
  
Wesley sat alone on a bench in the park opposite his apartment building. Sleep did not come easy to him any more and he appreciated the lack of people around at the late hour. The park reminded him of his earlier plan to run away with the baby, making him think that he could still run. Even as he thought this, he knew that he would not do it. He would not pick up and leave as he had in Sunnydale, finding a new place and a new home. He did not want to spend his whole life on the run, fighting the good fight but waiting to mess up.  
  
"How did you find me?" He asked suddenly.  
  
Steven was slightly startled as he made his way around the bench from behind. He did not speak.  
  
"It doesn't matter really, I knew that you would. But I can't help you, I've done enough damage already."  
  
Steven only stared at him. He had not known how the man was going to react, but he had not thought that he would have been expecting him.  
  
"Don't say that," he scowled. Wesley winced at the familiar flash of anger in the child's eyes. "You helped me to be with my rightful father."  
  
"I took you away from your real father, I betrayed all of my friends." Wesley sensed that he was opening up to the boy, who seemed to understand what he felt. Wesley had no idea how the boy was back, but he thought that he must have been through hell, quite literally. Steven's young body betrayed the age shown in his eyes.  
  
"The vampire was not your friend, he could never be. He has done too many bad things. Look at what he did to my father."  
  
"He did not kill Holtz."  
  
"I realise that now, that's not what I meant. His crimes go way back."  
  
"I know what you meant, but Angel is good now. He helps the helpless. He's on a mission to redemption." Wesley stood up, facing Steven.  
  
"Why are you defending him? After all he has done... have you never doubted that he'll succeed in his 'mission'?" Steven was visibly angry.  
  
Wesley thought back to Angel's 'beige' period, when he had fired them all. He had never forgotten that it was always a possibility, that the foundations were not secure. "We all make mistakes," he said, weakly.  
  
"We shouldn't have to. Angelus will never have to again."  
  
"Sometimes when you think you are doing the right thing, you really aren't."  
  
"You did do the right thing. It turned out okay." Steven gestured to himself.  
  
"Things are far from 'okay'. I guess you'll be needing a safe place to stay?"  
  
Steven was shocked, he had not been expecting that. Silently, he followed the older man inside, something made him want to trust him. Steven found it strange that trust came easy to him, but he knew that Wesley would help him. At the same time, Wesley groaned inwardly. He did not want to be in this position, caring for Angel's child. He knew that Angel would kill him if he found out. He wondered if he would have still taken the boy in if he had not known that Angel was safely contained. He recognised that this was his last chance to do something right, to have a positive impact on the whole mess. Even so, he was at a loss of what to do, the last thing he wanted to be was a father to the boy. 


	6. Return to the mission

Part 6 : Return to the Mission  
  
In his apartment, Wesley watched Steven asleep in his bed. In his sleeping position, he clutched a weapon of some sort. He was obviously used to taking care of himself and was always prepared. He may have been able to care for himself wherever he had been, but he was not used to the ways of their world and would need somebody to help him out. Wesley thought that he was the wrong person to conform to a carer for the troubled teen. He could barely take care of his own life and his own problems, simply creating more difficulties.  
  
Later, Wesley looked for something for Steven to eat. All he had was large quantities of alcohol and some junk food. He finally found some suitable cookies for him. As he handed over the food, Steven was sitting on the couch , staring at the television in amazement. When he was before, there had been no such thing as this box with small people inside it. Wesley had explained that there were not actually people inside the machine, just images of actors on the screen, for the amusement of the people that watch. Apparently Steven had seen something like this before, but it was much larger. Wesley figured that Angel had taken him to the cinema.  
  
Even though it had been easy enough to find something to occupy the boy with, Wesley was at a loss of what to do. He needed a father to take care of him, but that father had been put out of action. Wesley knew that Steven would not go to retrieve his father on his own. Right now, Wesley was the only person who could reunite the two of them, the only one who was in the position to help Angel. Right now, he had very little wish to ever see the vampire that had tried to kill him not so long ago. He knew that Angel would not change his feelings, even if Wesley did save him. But he would not be able to live the rest of his life knowing that he had known where he was and left him. He could finally do something right...  
  
***  
  
When Cordelia woke up she was momentarily confused, but it did not take her long to figure out where she was. She was still in the chair that she had fallen asleep in, wrapped in Angel's coat. As she got up and made her way to the bathroom, she glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost midday. She was surprised at how long she had slept, she normally got up much earlier than this. She had needed the rest, though, and she felt much more positive and relaxed, even more determined.  
  
She soon realised that she would need some more clothes. The clothes that she had slept in would not be suitable for another day. Even so, she managed to make herself presentable for the trip back to her apartment. As she went downstairs to the lobby, she saw that Fred and Gunn were busy working in the office. She smiled to herself at how great they were and felt slightly guilty.  
  
"Hey guys," she smiled brightly. "Why didn't you wake me up? I should be helping here."  
  
"I was just gonna come check on you," Gunn assured her. "Besides, you were exhausted and you look so peaceful and sweet when you are asleep." He stopped talking, noticing Fred clearing her throat. He kissed Fred on the cheek, winking at Cordelia at the same time.  
  
"I saw that, Charles!" Fred punched him on the arm.  
  
"Damn, girl, that hurt."  
  
Cordelia looked away sadly. Seeing them together so happy made her thing of what could have been with her and Angel and what she would have to step away from. She quickly closed off these thoughts and prepared to leave. "I'm going to go home, see Dennis and sort things out. Will you be here for a while?"  
  
"Yeah, that client will be coming back some time soon." Fred supplied.  
  
"The stalker one? Maybe Angel can help out when I find him." She smiled, realising what she had said.  
  
"Good luck. Is there anything we can do Cordy?" Gunn did not like to see her taking charge of it all on her own. It could be too much for her to handle.  
  
"I'll be okay. I'll phone if I need you." With that, she was gone.  
  
When she arrived at her apartment, she was back to positive thinking and had thought through many different possibilities. She figured that she had nothing to lose at this point by trying to summon a vision. She had already started to have some control over her visions, when she had been able to go back to see Angel fighting the vampires alongside his son.  
  
After cleaning herself up and sorting things out in her apartment, she sat down on her couch and started to induce a vision. She did not really know how to proceed, but she figured that she would just have to think strongly and focus on finding Angel. As she relaxed into the couch, she emptied her mind of all thoughts and concentrated on Angel's face.  
  
"Take me to Angel," she whispered.  
  
Soon enough, everything changed and she felt water all around her. 'These visions are getting more and more real', she thought. She could not see anything and wondered what sort of vision showed nothing but darkness. Suddenly, it dawned on her that this was real, that she was actually underwater. Cordelia started to panic, wondering what had happened and the water around her began to glow as thoughts sped through her mind. The light that was around her lit up the ocean floor, illuminating a big object in front of her. She drew closer to the box shaped thing and gasped as she saw what was inside.  
  
'Angel,' she did not know how she had sent him the message, but she knew he heard because he opened his eyes. It shocked her when he immediately closed them again.  
  
'It's not real,' he seemed to be telling himself.  
  
'It is real. Everything is going to be alright.'  
  
Angel opened his eyes, wanting to believe, but not seeing how any of it could be true. 'Help me,' he willed.  
  
Cordelia blinked, quickly accepting the reversal of roles. She had to do something, had to save him, like he had saved her so many times before. First, she would have to get him out of his prison. 'Close your eyes, I'll get you out.' Angel did as she requested.  
  
Putting her arms around the box, Cordelia concentrated her energy onto Angel's cage and felt a burst of power surge through her. The bright flash of light lasted several seconds, making her no longer able to see Angel's face. When the light started to fade, a dull explosion made ripples in the water that slowly travelled up to the surface. The box had disintegrated into tiny pieces and Angel fell to the ocean floor, knocked unconscious by the blast.  
  
Cordelia rushed to his side, unhappy that she had not had enough control over her power and that she had hurt him. He did not seem to be hurt, but he was not waking up as she held him in her arms. She knew that she had to get them out of there, but she was unsure how. It would be difficult to swim up to the surface and she had no idea where they would end up. Another problem with that was that the sun was still up. She realised that she had to somehow teleport them back to the hotel, even if she was still unsure about the use of her power.  
  
As she had before, she concentrated her thoughts on the hotel and held tightly onto Angel. Within seconds, they were transported to the hotel, in Angel's room as she had planned. She knew that it would be a bad idea to appear in front of Fred or Gunn, she did not want to create more difficulties and extra explanations. She lay the unconscious Angel on his bed, stroking his cheek and willing him to wake up and be okay. This seemed to make him more relaxed, although he was still unconscious.  
  
She positioned herself in the chair next to the bed, holding onto his hand, supplying him with her warmth. A lot of time passed without either of them moving, she knew she had been there a while because their clothes had dried. She knew that she should tell the others what had happened, but she did not want to separate herself from Angel now that she had finally found him. She did not want to break the connection between them. Cordelia moved onto the bed, lying her head on Angel's chest, staring up into his motionless face.  
  
She remembered back to her birthday when they had been in a similar situation, when she had been the one lying motionless on the bed. It was obvious that she was doing something, because simply lying next to Angel was draining her of her strength.  
  
An eternity passed before Angel finally started to stir. Cordelia had lain there so long she had no idea how much time had passed. Minutes or hours, they were all a blur. She had stopped thinking about things, concentrating simply on Angel's recovery and returning him to his mission. Even though she had to leave, she would make sure that he was back on track to redemption.  
  
"Cor?" He pronounced weakly. Her heart melted when he instinctively said her name, before he even opened his eyes. He knew she was there even without looking. Was it his vampiric senses or was it something more? Did he just want her to be there?  
  
"Hey Angel. I'm here. Just rest, you'll be okay." She smiled at him. He was going to be okay, she should be happy, but she could only think of having to leave again. 


	7. Reunited

Part 7: Reunited  
  
Cordelia had finally gone downstairs when she was sure that Angel would be fine on his own for a while. He had gone back to sleep, exhausted after the ordeal. Fred and Gunn were relieved to find out that Angel was safe and Cordelia was glad to find that they did not ask too many questions about how she found him. She was not lying when she told them that she was unsure about what had happened. Her story had only been briefly outlined when the arrival of their client interrupted them. Cordelia headed for the door.  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"To pick up a fresh 'meal' for Angel. I think he really needs it." She grabbed her jacket and left, leaving the others to take care of the client's needs.  
  
As she walked to the butcher's, Cordelia found herself thinking about what she had become. Years ago she had imagined that by now the would have the perfect life, with money, a sucessful acting career, someone to form a healthy relationship now. All of that could have been hers, but she had refused. She never regretted any of the decisions that she had made. In just three years, she had changed so much and become a better person. Her heart had always been in the right place, she was never a bad person on the inside, but her high-school bitchiness was a thing of the past. Queen C lay dormant, but she would always be there if the occasion ever arose.  
  
It was still light out when she picked up Angel's blood, but it was growing dark by the time she got back. Even though she had only been awake for a few hours, she felt that she had done so many things and nobody else knew the half of it. She knew that one of the hardest things about her situation was being unable to confide in someone, to share her worries and sadnesses with. Right now, it was about being strong and helping people who needed her. Her feelings were irrelevant and they could not get in the way any more.  
  
Once back at the hotel, Cordelia made her way to Angel's room with his blood, checking in with Gunn first. Gunn was still working with the client and Fred had gone upstairs to sit with Angel. When she entered Angel's room, Fred stood up to leave.  
  
"Hey, he's just wakin' up. He's been asleep the whole time you were gone. It's like he knew you were comin'." Fred smiled for the first time in ages.  
  
"Don't get any ideas, now. It's just a coincidence. Or maybe he smelled the blood." She moved over to the bed, where Angel was attempting to sit up. She quickly came to his assistance.  
  
After grinning and whispering some incomprehensible Pylean word to herself, Fred discreetly slipped out. The others were too preoccupied to notice. Angel had obviously been weak from hunger and he immediately accepted the glass of blood that Cordelia was holding to his mouth. He gained speed as he gulped, soon finishing off the contents of the glass.  
  
"All better?"  
  
"I'm sorry," he frowned. "That must have been disgusting."  
  
"No, of course not," she assured him. "That's not the first time I've seen you drink. Believe me there are worse things than that."  
  
He didn't look convinced. "What happened? Why does my head hurt so much?"  
  
"You don't remember anything? That was quite a blast, I hope you didn't get too much damage." She took hold of his hand.  
  
"I'm having trouble figuring out what was real. I have so many images in my head that are all mixing together."  
  
The pained look on his face made her heart melt. She placed her other hand on his forehead, heating up the cold surface. "Don't try to think too much. Just rest, you're going to be fine."  
  
"I feel a bit better already. Do you have some special powers you haven't mentioned?"  
  
"Not that I know of. It's probably just the blood." She looked away, pulling back her hands.  
  
"It's more than that. You make me feel alive." She ached inwardly, but she had to be strong.  
  
"Sounds like that blood has gone to your head," she laughed forcefully. "Maybe you had better think about getting that rest..."  
  
"No, it's starting to become clearer already." He took her hands in his, noticing the sadness in her eyes. More gently, he continued. "You were down there with me, weren't you? How did you find me?"  
  
"I'll always find you. You can't get away from me that easily, you know," she smiled.  
  
"Why would I want to?" he smiled back.  
  
"Good question. What exactly were you doing in a box underwater?"  
  
"How did I get out?"  
  
"I asked first," she stuck out her tongue.  
  
"He made a mistake."  
  
"Obviously. Who?"  
  
"My son." He looked at her sadly.  
  
"Why would he do that? Things were going so well."  
  
"Something happened. I don't know, I just don't know. I did everything right."  
  
"Of course you did, you're all about doing the right thing. well, most of the time anyway." She grinned at him, "don't start brooding, now. We'll get to the bottom of this. You stay here, I'll get right onto this."  
  
"Wait, we still have to talk."  
  
"It can wait till later, can't it? You need that rest!" She moved to get up.  
  
"We need to talk about, you know, that meeting we never had." he frowned.  
  
She paused, taking this in. "It will have to wait, Angel. Something big is coming."  
  
"How do you know? Did you have a vision?"  
  
As he said the magic words, images started to flash through her head... 


	8. The Usual

Part 8: The Usual  
  
"What did you see, Cordy?"  
  
"There's a demon following a woman. You know, usual story, nothing we can't handle." She stood up. "Without you," she added when she saw Angel attempting to stand up. "Gunn and I will take care of it." After she spoke, she saw him hesitate, but finally lie back down. "I'll be back soon," she assured him.  
  
He seemed uncomfortable with their change in roles. He was used to being the hero, helping the helpless, instead of being weak himself. He didn't deserve the treatment he was getting from his seer, who was now prepared to fight his battles for him, without him. He only loved her more for how strong she had become, but it just did not feel right. He should at least be fighting alongside her, they were a team. He knew she was right though, he would only end up getting himself killed. He would help later, when his head stopped pounding...  
  
***  
  
Fred was busy working on the case and there was no time for research, Cordelia and Gunn had to hunt the demon fast. Cordelia's vision had given her an idea of the time and the place, so their only problem would be in defeating it. They could only hope that they would be able to figure it out when they got there. The team had become smaller over the past few weeks, which meant that the work took them twice as long and they had to work twice as hard.  
  
Gunn was unsure about the two of them against a demon, but Cordelia was confident that they could handle it. She was still not completely in control of her powers, but they had proven most effective so far.  
  
"So, we're lookin' for an ugly demon chasin' some chick?"  
  
"Pretty much, usual stuff."  
  
Soon enough, they spied said ugly demon. True to the vision, he was following closely behind a young woman. The woman did not seem to know what was following her, but she walked quickly, almost nervously.  
  
"You know, Gunn, I'm no expert, but that looks more like stalking than chasing to me." Cordelia hesitated. In fact, the woman did not seem to be in any danger.  
  
"It's still a demon, looks evil to me. It seems to want more than just a look, if you know what I mean." It did actually look like the demon was checking the woman out. "That's just not right."  
  
"I thought you knew by now, that all demons are not bad." She gave him a look.  
  
"Well, no. But you had a vision..." Gunn knew he had a point.  
  
"That's right. Ther's just... something strange about the whole thing."  
  
"Let's go check it out." Gunn starting moving in the direction of the demon, that was quite far in front of them.  
  
"Okay. We won't attack him if he doesn't attack us."  
  
"Wait a minute." Gunn was not liking where this was going. "It used to be: you get vision, we kill demon, everyone is happy. Now we're going to go make friends with the guy."  
  
"Calm down. I didn't mean that at all. I just feel that this is not as straightforward as it might seem."  
  
"You 'feel'?" Gunn was skeptical, he needed more solid proof.  
  
"I'm vision girl. Not only do I see, I feel."  
  
"Can you feel where he has gone? We seem to have lost him during our little discussion."  
  
"Great, just great," they stopped looking around for where he had gone.  
  
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a horned creature leaped out in front of them. It was fast and neither of them had been prepared. Even so, they were quick to respond and swiftly switched to battle mode.  
  
"Permission to attack?" Gunn asked sarcastically.  
  
"Oh yeah." With this, they simultaneously lunged towards the creature, that seemed shocked that they were actually fighting back and instinctively jumped back. He was certainly fast, but much less coordinated. Unlike them, he was unarmed and he had no fighting skills at all. Gunn landed a kick in his stomach, knocking him over. He stood over him, axe in hand.  
  
"Hi, nice to meet you, I'm Gunn. You know, I really think we could be friends, if you promise to trim those nasty horns, that is." The creature growled in response, not understanding a word. Gunn glared at Cordelia. "I guess that's a no then." He raised the axe.  
  
"Gunn, wait." Cordelia sounded desperate.  
  
"What? You want a go aswell? See if he'll be friends with you?" As he spoke, the demon in front of them started to change shape. While they watched, the form slowly became a human.  
  
"Oh God. Definitely not the usual." Gunn was shocked at how close he had been to killing the man.  
  
"No," Cordelia said softly.  
  
"I'm... sorry."  
  
"You didn't know. It's okay." The man started to wake up. "Are you alright?"  
  
"What happened? Where's Laura?" He looked up in confusion. "Who are you?"  
  
"You don't remember anything? You... had some kind of episode. We can help you, we'll take you to a safe place." Cordelia spoke gently, reassuring the man.  
  
"Where are my clothes?" Suddenly aware of his nudity, Cordelia reached into her bag, pulling out a t-shirt and some sweat pants.  
  
In response to the strange look from Gunn that ensued, Cordelia explained, "hey, I'm always prepared." She helped him to put the clothes on, noticing how weak he was after his transformation. "We'd better get him back to the hotel. I think I can manage, it's not too far. You should go see what you can find out on the streets."  
  
"You sure? It's not that close and we don't have the car." Gunn was doubtful.  
  
"I'll manage, trust me on this," she smiled, encouraging him.  
  
"You're the boss." Gunn looked away. Cordelia did not miss his expression of defeat.  
  
"Don't feel bad for what happened, you couldn't have known."  
  
"You did. How did you know anyway?" Gunn was curious.  
  
"You know, special powers... plus he was wearing a watch."  
  
"Gotcha." He grinned. "We'd better get movin." He helped Cordelia to lift the man to his feet. With one final look on reassurance from Cordelia, he left them.  
  
Cordelia wrapped her arms around the man, hoping that once again this would work.  
  
They both disappeared in a flash of light. 


	9. Confrontations

Part 9: Confrontations  
  
When Cordelia materialised at the entrance to the hotel, the man fell unconscious into her arms. She was not physically strong enough to carry his weight, so she called out for help. Fred came running out of the office, followed by the client. Between them, they managed to carry him onto the couch.  
  
"What happened to him? He's looks like he's been knocked out." Fred looked at Cordelia, puzzled. "Were you attacked?"  
  
"No, he's just tired after the journey here. Plus, he went through some 'transformations'." Cordelia did not want to say too much around the client, who was standing around awkwardly.  
  
"Yeah, Gunn just called. I didn't know you would be getting here so soon."  
  
"We took a short cut."  
  
Fred looked confused, but soon forgot about it, because Angel was coming down the stairs. "Hey, you're up! Welcome back!"  
  
"Fred! Stop shouting, Angel has a headache." He looked at her appreciatively. "Are you feeling better? You look a lot better."  
  
"Exactly how bad did I look?" Angel enquired, worried.  
  
"Kinda like him," Fred pointed to the unconsious guy on the couch.  
  
"What happened to him?"  
  
"I'll explain on the way upstairs. Are you strong enough to carry him up to a room?"  
  
"Let's find out." Angel walked over to the couch. "Is he wearing your clothes?"  
  
"Yes, but there's a perfectly good explanation for that."  
  
Angel picked him up, proving that he had recovered most of his strength. "I'd like to hear that."  
  
"Well, he lost his." Cordelia replied simply.  
  
"Do I even want to know how that happened?" Angel asked, laughing. Cordelia thought she caught a hint of jealousy behind his laughter. "You know, he kinda smells funny."  
  
"Probably because he isn't human. Well not completley anyway. I'd better fill you in on what we know. It isn't as simple as it first looked."  
  
Angel and Cordelia continued up the stairs, finding a suitable room for the man. Fred led the client back into the office to interrogate him further. A few minutes later, Cordelia came back downstairs. They did not think that the man would wake up for a while, but thought that Fred should check him out anyway. Angel stayed with him while Cordelia went to get Fred. She was about to walk over to the office when she saw a man walk in the door.  
  
"Wesley, what are you doing here?" Cordelia was shocked, he was the last person she had expected to see. She walked over to the door.  
  
"I really need to talk to you," Wesley seemed desperate.  
  
"I really think you should leave, right now." Wesley was taken aback by her harsh tone. He had agonised over his decision to come and was still not completely sure that he was doing the right thing. Even so, he realised that he deserved her reaction.  
  
"I'm sorry, I know you don't want to listen to me at the moment, but you have to hear this."  
  
Pausing, Cordelia reflected on this. Wesley looked genuinely sorry. His pained face gave away his sleepless nights and a sadness that made her heart ache. Still, she held back, , keeping him at a distance, not giving in to her emotions. "What is it you want to say?"  
  
"I have something to tell you about Angel."  
  
"What about me." Wesley and Cordelia both jumped, neither of them had heard Angel approach. Instinctively, Wesley stepped out the door, into the safety of the sunlight. Angel stood in the shade of the doorway, as Cordelia followed Wesley.  
  
"Wes, did you think Angel would not be here?" she stopped, suddenly realising. "Oh God, you knew. You knew what had happened to Angel." Wesley glanced at Angel, who stared coldly back. Cordelia took his silence for an affirmation. "Did you know when I went to see you?"  
  
"You went to see him?" Angel choked.  
  
"You knew, and you said nothing," her tone was angry, but the sadness leaked through her voice. "You used to be a good person, Wesley. What happened?"  
  
Wesley looked at the ground. "I came here to tell you," he explained, quietly.  
  
"But you didn't come as soon as you found out? You had to weigh the pros and cons?"  
  
"It's not that easy. It's complicated."  
  
"I think you should go, you're just making things worse." Cordelia turned away.  
  
Wesley stared after her, saying nothing. Just when he thought things could not get any worse, Steven appeared.  
  
"Connor!" Angel called. The boy looked at him in shock.  
  
"Why did you come here Wesley? I thought you said you went out to get food." Steven looked at him questioningly.  
  
"I don't believe this. Wesley, what are you doing with my son?" Angel's cold fury made Cordelia shudder.  
  
"I'm not your son!" Steven cried.  
  
"Yes, Steven, you are." Wesley looked at Steven, bluntly telling him what he thought he had to.  
  
"I trusted you! How can you say that?" Steven exclaimed.  
  
"You can't trust him," Angel spat. "I trusted him and he betrayed us all."  
  
This sparked up Wesley's anger. "You know, I came here to bring back your son's father. But, now that I'm here it does not seem like such a good idea."  
  
Cordelia put a hand on Wesley's arm, trying to calm him down, telling him that he should simply leave. When her hand connected with his body, she immediately experienced a range of emotions. She felt vulnerability, anger, pain, worry and fear at the same time. Realising that she had been searching to understand what Wesley was feeling, it suddenly became clear what Wesley had undergone. She stepped back in shock, seeing understanding flash across his face. He turned away and left, quickly followed by Steven.  
  
Angel had no idea what had just happened and Cordelia did not think it was necessary to tell him. She followed him inside, knowing that he would be heading for the tunnels, intent of finding his son.  
  
"Angel, stop," she pleaded. "You're not going to achieve anything. "You'll just make things worse or get yourself killed. You're weak." For once, Angel actually seemed to be listening. "You need to give him time, he'll come back to you, he has to. He needs a father." Angel sat down on the couch, wanting to believe her.  
  
"I hope you're right." She sat next to him, taking his hand and smiling up at him.  
  
"Of course I am. Now, we have a case to work on..."  
  
TBC... 


	10. Closure

Part 10: Closure  
  
Fred had gone upstairs to tend to the still unconscious man from the vision, leaving Cordelia and Angel with the client. Cordelia wanted to keep Angel busy, to give him something to do to take his mind off other matters. At first he had resisted, but she had told him that she would not let him go off and brood, instead of going after Wesley and Steven. Angel did not wish to challenge her and besides, he knew she was right. She kept him on track. She was always ready and able to deal with anything that came up, taking it in her stride. She could be strong for him when he needed it, and he loved her for it.  
  
Inside, only she knew that it was a completely different story. Behind her solid front lay insecurities, fears and worries, just like inside everybody else. But the seer was not like everybody else, as she felt not only her own emotions, but those of others, who needed her help. Now she had discovered that she had some control over the visions, she was able to feel more clearly what people went through. She actually experienced things as if she was that particular person, and without the physical pain it was making it harder to draw the line between her own reality and that of others.  
  
Right now, she could sense the depth of Angel's suffering without even trying to reach out and it overwhelmed her. It shook her just being near that much hurt. 'How can he live with all that pain?' she asked herself.  
  
'Because he has to. He has to make things right.' A voice spoke softly into her ear. She jumped slightly, she had not been expecting an answer. Looking over at Angel, she saw that he had not noticed anything. Excusing herself, Cordelia went and locked herself in the bathroom. She stared at herself in the mirror.  
  
"I need answers..." she paused, waiting for the familiar voice of the creature. As she stood there, a blue form appeared in the mirror in front of her.  
  
"We're always listening, you're not alone," the female assured her.  
  
"That's good to know, but it doesn't always feel that way."  
  
"Yes, it is hard, it can't be easy. You can talk to us anytime." Cordelia looked down at the floor. "But you want to talk to them."  
  
"I don't like keeping secrets. They'll only hate me for it."  
  
"You know it's for the best."  
  
Cordelia understood. "They would be distracted from this mission, and Angel would do anything to stop me from leaving."  
  
"Just be strong, you are doing well. Except you have to stop teleporting people. It's too risky, you have not learnt how to control it yet."  
  
Cordelia thought about the man lying upstairs, unconscious. "What can I do to help him?"  
  
"You can heal him."  
  
"How?"  
  
"Like you have before."  
  
"You mean with Angel."  
  
"Yes," the creature was preparing to leave. "Limit the use of your powers, while you cannot control them They can do harm as well as good."  
  
Cordelia closed her eyes, wishing that she had been more careful than she had been. She took a deep breath and she reopened her eyes, once again she was alone. When Angel saw her emerge from the bathroom, he came over to talk to her.  
  
Smile, Cordy, be strong. "Hey, did you talk things over? Find anything interesting about the case?"  
  
"Not really. You know, Cordy, that guy smells funny." Angel looked worried.  
  
"Since when do you have a problem with body odour? Maybe he has a medical condition," Cordelia suggested, mistaking his worry for disgust.  
  
"No, I mean demon man upstairs smell."  
  
"Oh right, that makes sense," she agreed. "With the whole stalking women thing. We'd better get Fred to check him out, too." Angel nodded and started walking towards the stairs. "No, wait, I'll go, you stay with him. Let's not let him know anything is wrong just yet."  
  
Cordelia found Fred taking a sample of blood from the man. She approached Fred from behind as she stood next him. "Hey Fred." A normal person might have jumped, but Fred reacted only by grinning. Cordelia did not know whether it was due to having lived in a cave for years, or her natural scientific concentration. "How's it going? Any change?"  
  
"He hasn't changed, as you can see. I've just been doing some tests, but nothing yet."  
  
Cordelia smiled, grateful for her hard work. "I think we found you a new patient."  
  
"That's great! Well obviously not for him, but it gives me more to work with. Who is it?"  
  
"Well, it's not one hundred percent sure, but the client downstairs..."  
  
"Oh, yes. I should have thought! He said he had never seen that stalker himself and I thought it was a bit strange. It adds up." Fred sighed. "I should have known. How did you find out?"  
  
"Angel could smell it."  
  
"Handy skill."  
  
"Yeah, kind of freaky, though. Imagine all the things he can smell on all of us..."  
  
"Sure," they both laughed weakly. There was a short silence before Fred announced, "I'd better go down and see him. What are we going to say to him?"  
  
"Maybe it's best not to tell him what we think just yet, in case we're wrong."  
  
"I'll need to examine him though, get a blood or urine sample probably."  
  
"I guess you'll have to let him know then," Cordelia nodded encouragingly, "be gently, it can't be easy to find out you might be a demon."  
  
"You're not..." Fred was puzzled.  
  
"No, I'd better stay here, in case he wakes up," she pulled up a chair next to the bed.  
  
"I don't think I've ever seen anything like this before. There doesn't seem to be a thing wrong with him. His body is responding, but he seems to be in a deep sleep."  
  
"I'll keep him company anyway. Maybe he can hear us."  
  
"I guess we just never know who is hearing us... or smelling us. Anyway, I'd better go."  
  
"Yeah, hope you find something." Cordelia sat on the chair next to the bed, waiting until Fred was gone. Just as she had with Angel, she began to empty her mind of thoughts and concentrate on his healing. Closing her eyes, she placed one hand on his forehead and held his hand with the other. She was uncertain how long she sat there, after a certain amount of time she heard a noise. It sounded like someone was calling out to her from far away. The voice grew louder as she slowly regained her normal state of mind and opened her eyes.  
  
Angel was staring right at her, on the other side of the bed. "Cordelia, what are you doing?" he asked curiously.  
  
"Angel... don't worry. It's fine."  
  
"That was scary, Cordelia. I was calling you and you didn't even move. It's like you weren't really here." Angel did look worried.  
  
"Yeah... I was concentrating on something else. What are you doing here anyway?"  
  
"Well, you've been up here alone for an hour..."  
  
"Wow, an hour? Really? I didn't think... I guess I wasn't really here."  
  
Angel was concerned, "this doesn't sound good. You're exploring new powers on your own, it could be dangerous."  
  
"I know what I'm doing."  
  
"Really? You've tried this before? On who." She just stared at him, until he realised. "On me?"  
  
"It worked out just fine didn't it?" She smiled up at him. "Now, what did we find out about the demon?"  
  
"Don't you think we should discuss this?"  
  
"There's nothing to discuss," she brushed him off. "Fill me in."  
  
He stared at her for a few seconds, before letting it go. "Obviously, he didn't take it well. He refused to believe it, then realised it made sense. He's downstairs freaking out still."  
  
"Maybe I should try talking to him. I'll try again with this guy later." Angel did not seem to approve of that idea, but he let her go.  
  
Cordelia found the frantic man pacing around the lobby, firing a multitude of questions at Fred and Gunn. They looked uncomfortable with it, because they truly could not answer him properly. Cordelia approached Gunn. "Did you find anything?"  
  
"Nope, nothing to report," Gunn responded apologetically.  
  
"Fred?"  
  
"Still working on it."  
  
"Good, you're doing a good job, keep at it. Gunn, you think you could look through the books, now that you have seen what the creature looks like?"  
  
He nodded. "I'll do what I can."  
  
"Great. I'll try to talk to him." She approached the man, who stopped pacing when he saw her walking towards him. "Hi."  
  
"Hello. Cordelia, right? I'm Barry. Most of the time anyway." Cordelia was glad to see that he could joke about his situation, it meant that he was starting to accept it. "You know what's happening to me, right? You can help? You can stop it? Do you think I killed people?"  
  
"Hey, calm down. I can not answer all of your questions, especially all at once. You're in good hands, though, we're working on finding out exactly what this is."  
  
"And then you can change me back? I don't want to be a demon for the rest of my life." Barry was about to start pacing again, but Cordelia put a hand on his arm.  
  
"All demons aren't that bad. I'm not."  
  
"You're a demon?" he found it hard to believe.  
  
"You bet. And I work for the good guys."  
  
"So I could be a good demon too?"  
  
"If you control it. I had a friend in high school who was a werewolf. He just locked himself in a cage three days a month and everyone was fine."  
  
"There are werewolves too? I don't think I'll ever go out again."  
  
"Sure you will, people like us work to make it safe."  
  
Barry went to sit down. In the last hour, he had absorbed more information about the supernatural than most people did in their lifetimes. It was a lot, but he had taken it all in quite well, Cordelia thought. She had seen a whole new side to the smart, composed man that had first arrived at the hotel. People do surprise you sometimes. She thought back to Wesley and how much he had changed recently. She could still feel his pain after touching him hours before. It was plain to her that she had to do something, even if it was just to dig deeper and find out exactly what had happened.  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted by Fred, who was calling for Barry to come over. The two of them walked over to where Fred had set up her things. "What medication are you taking?" she asked. "I found traces of something in your blood. If I know what it is, it will make the process easier."  
  
Barry looked uncomfortable, "well, I'm taking a new thing my doctor prescribed, to..." he blushed, they were all staring at him. "... To increase my performance, to boost energy," he finished quietly. They others looked away, not knowing what to say. Fred went back to work and nobody spoke for a while. Minutes later she made another discovery. The others jumped when she spoke suddenly.  
  
"I'm finding traces of the same medication in the blood of the other demon. It can't be a coincidence."  
  
Cordelia began to understand. "Yes, the demon thing has to be some sort of side-effect of the drug. There was a definite 'vibe' coming from that other demon guy."  
  
"You mean when he was checking you out?" Gunn grinned.  
  
"So you're saying I'm some kind of horny demon?" Barry looked horrified.  
  
"Quite literally too," Cordelia nodded.  
  
"Oh God, I have horns?" he looked even more horrified.  
  
"You'd better give us the address of your doctor. Angel and I can go check it out. It's just gone dark. Gunn, can you stay with the guy upstairs? Fred, continue research and call us with any information you find." They both nodded, used to her being the boss. "Barry, shouldn't you go home to your wife?"  
  
"No, I don't want to be a danger to anyone. Plus, she's away on vacation right now, hiding from the stalker. From me. If it's in the drugs, it will wear off, right?"  
  
"It should do," Fred was hopeful. "You want to help with the research? It will make things faster."  
  
"Sure, point me to the books." It was unusual to see the client helping in such a way, but the help was nice. They had no time to appreciate the situation further, they set into action. Once they had the address and Gunn had gone to replace Angel, the two of them set off in his car.  
  
"How did my car get back here anyway?" he wondered.  
  
"I think Fred drove it back after they found it."  
  
"You mean, you didn't..." she realised that she had just admitted that she had never shown up that night.  
  
"I... I had to think things through. I wasn't as ready as I thought I was."  
  
"Are you ready now?"  
  
"No," she said weakly.  
  
"Will you ever be?" when she didn't reply, he continued. "You look different, almost sad."  
  
"I'm going through a few changes." Understatement of the year, she added mentally.  
  
"Me too. I love you." He breathed deeply and unnecessarily.  
  
"I..." she choked.  
  
"Talk to me, Cor."  
  
"I'm sorry, I can't right now. Give me some time. We need to stay focused on what we're doing." She turned away from him and stared out as they made their way through the streets. Angel said nothing, he closed himself off and she could no longer feel the emotion pouring off him. He was hurting, she knew, and she hated being the cause of that. Still, she was glad he did not push further and respected her wishes to have more time. In fact, she did not need any time at all, she knew exactly how she felt and what she wanted. The time when she would be 'ready' would be when she would have to leave again.  
  
After a few minutes of silence they arrived at the doctor's office. They presumed he would still be there, as it had only just gone dark. Before they got out of the car, Cordelia's cell phone started ringing.  
  
"Oh, hi Fred. Any info on what we're dealing with?"  
  
"It seems that the demon-ness in the patients is caused by mixing the blood of the main beast into the medication. Killing him won't kill the demon in the others, but the effects will probably wear off, or we could create an antidote easily." Cordelia heard a faint 'thank God' in the background.  
  
"That's great Fred. Anything else?"  
  
"It would be good if you could bring back the doctor's notes and the patient list or find out from him."  
  
"We'll see what we can do... yes... you too... bye." They both got out of the car and walk towards the office. She filled him in with the details on the way. When they arrived at the office, the door was unlocked but the waiting room was empty and the receptionist was preparing to go home.  
  
"We're here to see Dr. Liston," Cordelia spoke to the woman.  
  
"I'm sorry, you don't have an appointment. Would you like to schedule one for tomorrow?" she opened the book on her desk.  
  
"Julie, it's okay. I'll see these people before I finish here." She didn't look too happy when he said that. "Don't worry, I don't need you here, you can go." She brightened up with this news. When she had left, Angel and Cordelia followed the doctor into his office. He had various diplomas adorning the walls, but no photos on the desk, Cordelia noticed. The doctor sat at his desk and the two of them occupied the chairs on the other side.  
  
"You two look like you could use my help. Where did you hear about me?"  
  
Angel made a move to protest what he was saying, but Cordelia nudged him and decided to follow the lead of the doctor. "We have some friends who recommended you. Barry and his wife."  
  
"Oh, yes, of course. What exactly is the problem?"  
  
Cordelia continued, "well, the attraction is definitely there..." Angel looked at her curiously.  
  
"But we're unable..." Angel attempted to continue.  
  
"He's unable to do it," she corrected.  
  
"Often it stems from both partners."  
  
"Oh, it's definitely him." Angel glared, uncomfortable with what was being said.  
  
"So it's a physical problem. I should think I will be able to help. If you call tomorrow, you can make an appointment."  
  
"That's great, right Angel?"  
  
"How exactly does it work?"  
  
"We can discuss it all tomorrow. I don't really have the time now." The doctor began sorting through the files on his desk. As they stood up, Cordelia's scarf fell to the floor. Angel made a move to pick it up, but she shook her head slightly, telling him to leave it. They said their thank yous and made their way out of the office and down to the car. Once they were there, they began to discuss the doctor.  
  
"There was definitely something wrong there," Cordelia started.  
  
"I got a weird vibe, too. He seemed to want us to leave soon."  
  
"You think he's doing something right now?"  
  
"It's possible. We should probably go back."  
  
"Hence the scarf. An excuse just in case everything is fine."  
  
"Right, let's go."  
  
"I think I should go alone, it's less obvious. I might be able to get him to talk to me too. I'll call you up if necessary." "No, I don't think it's a good idea. What if he tries something?"  
  
"I can handle myself."  
  
Their argument was interrupted by the ringing cell phone. Cordelia thrust it into Angel's hand and went back inside. Moments later she arrived at the doctor's office. The door was still unlocked, so she walked right into the waiting room. She knocked on the door of the office and immediately opened it without waiting for an answer. As she walked in, she witnessed the doctor turn into something else. His demon form was similar to that of the others, except he was much bigger, more horned and a lot more intelligent. There was a row of syringes on the desk, presumably for taking out the blood.  
  
"I just forgot my scarf..." The creature took a step towards her. "Angel, I need your help."  
  
This demon understood what she was saying and was also able to respond. "He's not going to hear you." But Angel had heard her, perfectly, all the way from outside. "Human women! So hopeless!"  
  
"Hey, I might be a woman, but I'm not human and I am definitely not hopeless." He paused for a second before lunging at her. She responded with a blast of light, knocking him across the room. Angel arrived at that point, having ran all the way from the car.  
  
"You came, I knew you would."  
  
"Got your message. It looks like you've got this under control." Angel gestured to the demon in the corner, who was stirring.  
  
"I didn't know what to do. Isn't he human?"  
  
"He's got to be the main one, he's definitely not an innocent. He attacked you, so now we kill him."  
  
"Did Fred say how?"  
  
"Typical slice and dice." The demon was now on it's feet, but was still shaken from his trip across the room. This made Angel job easier. He drew his sword from inside his jacket. His opponent was unarmed, he only had his claws, which were nothing compared to Angel's battle skills. Angel retained the upper hand, although he received a few minor scratches. The fight was over soon enough and the demon lay slain on the ground.  
  
"What are we going to do with the body?" Cordelia wondered, picking up her scarf, which she was annoyed to find had specks of blood on it.  
  
"I guess we'll have to dispose of it somehow, we can't leave it here." He looked at Cordelia, who was now rooting through the office to find notes and patient records. She collected the relevant information and found a big sheet that had drops of paint on it, she guessed it was from when the room had been decorated. They wrapped the body in the sheet and Angel picked up the heavy weight.  
  
"Can you manage?"  
  
"Yeah, I got it," he strained under the weight. "It isn't too far." They struggled to the car, where Angel deposited the body in the back seat.  
  
* * *  
  
Later, back at the hotel, Fred had managed to piece together what had happened. Using the doctor's case-files and her research, she had worked out that the doctor was a demon who had regularly took the form of a human, to fit into their world. He had done for years, as he was a real doctor with real knowledge and credentials. "His reasons for doing what he did we can only guess at. He was probably lonely, because there was no-one else like him, and he wanted to create some sort of 'family' for himself."  
  
Cordelia nodded, remembering the lack of photos in his office. "So he used his blood in the medication to transform the men who asked for his help." It was all making sense. "The only problem was, their demon forms were not linked to their human selves, so they were very different from him."  
  
"Plus they had to keep taking the medication to transform, which means that they were not real demons at all." Fred added. "What happened to them was the opposite of the doctor. He was a demon taking on the appearance of a human, but they were humans taken over by a demon."  
  
"Like vampires?" Gunn wondered.  
  
Angel cringed at the comparison. "But for vampires, the human and the demon are linked. For these men, it was the beast that just took over."  
  
"So it's like a werewolf then?" Cordelia suggested an analogy that was more appreciated.  
  
They had relocated to the bedroom of the man who had recently woken up when Cordelia and Angel had arrived back. There had not been the need to explain everything to him and he remembered nothing, so they simply told him he has had an 'episode' probably due to the medication he was taking. He seemed fine, so Gunn was about to drive him home, after they found some clothes to wear. Fred went to call the other patients in the files, instructing them to stop taking the medication. The client had left, leaving them with a cheque, extremely relieved that he was not really a demon ('no offence meant to Cordelia') and that the stalker problem had been solved. Cordelia and Angel found themselves alone once again.  
  
"I think we should tend to those wounds. To the bedroom!" Cordelia instructed, then blushed, realising what she had just said.  
  
"Whatever you say!" Angel laughed.  
  
The tension between them had lifted significantly, they could not stay without speaking for very long. They talked light-heartedly, but they knew the conversation would turn serious at some point.  
  
Angel had already started healing, but she took care of his wounds anyway. He was not complaining, she insisted on taking care of him. He had a few scratches on his arms and a deeper cut on his chest that she thought needed her attention. "Take off your shirt," she told him. When he hesitated, she started doing it for him. "We've done this a million times before. It's just the same." But it was not the same, they both knew it. They both breathed deeply as she finished taking off his shirt and started to clean his wound. After she had finished dressing it and had cleared away the medical supplies, Cordelia was the first to speak. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"Good. Better," he pointed to his chest. "You okay?"  
  
"Me? Sure. I think I'm ready to talk now." Angel had not been expecting this and was slightly taken aback. "This is not easy, so I'm just going to come out right and say it." She sat on the bed next to him, he took her hand in his. "I'm in love with you. I have been for a while, but I didn't really realise it until recently, when Groo left. I could never love him, it's always been you." She stopped, noticing how happy he was. Her abilities to sense emotions made the positive feelings even more special and made it all worthwhile. His happiness was only going to make what was to come harder. "There's something I have to tell you, about me."  
  
"Cordelia." His voice seemed urgent.  
  
"What?"  
  
Angel looked confused. Cordelia realised that the voice was speaking in her head, it was not Angel that had said her name. Why would they do this to her now, in the middle of this conversation? She did not stop to think about it, she had to get out to speak to them. "Angel, don't move. I'll be right back." She didn't give him a chance to react before she got up and sped out of the room, leaving him staring after her. As soon as she was out of the room, she was transported upwards, soon finding herself back in the blue room.  
  
The female creature greeted her, she was alone. "So, you decided to tell him."  
  
"I had to. I couldn't keep it from him. It won't get in the way of the mission," she assured her.  
  
"I knew you would tell him. You don't need to justify yourself, I do understand. Your bond with Angel is special, you're lucky, not everyone finds that."  
  
"What are you saying?"  
  
"I'm saying that you deserve to fight alongside Angel. You deserve to keep the love that has grown between you. You are a great team."  
  
"So this was all a test?"  
  
"In a way, yes. Your future had not been written. Now, things are more clear."  
  
"I can be with Angel?" Cordelia was finding it hard to believe.  
  
"You can."  
  
"What about the risks?"  
  
"The risks keep you focused, stop you from losing the mission. It will be hard, but it always is. You know that by now."  
  
"Yeah, I sure do." Cordelia realised that she was nervous. Before, she had 'known' that the relationship could not be, and now she had been told otherwise. She did not doubt his feelings for her, and she knew now that she loved him, but she was unsure about how things were going to turn out. She had doubts, but she realised that they best way to resolve them would be to talk them through with Angel. "I should go back. Are we done here?"  
  
"For now, if you need no further answers."  
  
"Just one more question. The something big you mentioned, was that it?"  
  
"There is always something big coming, we need you down there. What you just did, that was nothing compared to what is to come."  
  
She nodded, prepared to accept whatever was coming. "We'll be ready." After she spoke, she found herself on her way back down to earth, to the hotel. She arrived in the same place she had left, just as Angel opened his door.  
  
"What is it, Cordy? What's so important?" Angel was slightly worried.  
  
"What?" she was momentarily confused.  
  
"You just rushed out."  
  
"Oh, that, yes," she realised that no time had passed, she was back where she had started. "It's nothing, I thought I had to do something, but I was wrong. Sorry, never mind!" She wondered if he would leave it at that and forget about it. He gave her a strange look, she was acting a little crazy, but he accepted what she had said.  
  
"You coming back inside?" he asked gently.  
  
"Of course," she was starting to feel like a nervous teenager again. Things were going to be alright. Their lives were back on track. The two of them sat back down awkwardly on the bed.  
  
"What was it that you were going to tell me?"  
  
"I was going to tell you..." she answered slowly, trying to think what to say. She realised that he did not have to know about her leaving, as now she would be staying for a long time. "I'm scared, I don't know how things are going to work out."  
  
"You mean the whole 'tragic farce' deal? Because we can work on that."  
  
She had to laugh, becoming more relaxed in his presence. "I've had my share too, you know. Remember the demon spawn? Xander Harris... I couldn't even get things to work out with Groo... and he was like, the perfect boyfriend."  
  
"Perfect? I guess perfect wasn't good enough for you..."  
  
Cordelia shook her head, "Groo was too good. He gave me everything I wanted and I gave nothing in return. I ended up just hurting him."  
  
"Are you saying you settled for less?" he asked with mock-hurt.  
  
"I'm saying I fell in love with my best friend. That's more perfect than I could ever have imagined." She smiled up at him and he could not stop himself from grinning back.  
  
"I've never had a best friend before, and I've never known anyone quite like you. You're special, you know that. How could you fall for an old, tortured soul like me?"  
  
"How could I not?" She leaned over, running her hand along his face. This time, they were not possessed, they were in complete control of themselves, but there was definitely magic in the air as their lips met. They had been through so much already, but this was new. They explored each others mouths, starting gently and slowly building up with passion.  
  
When they eventually pulled apart, Cordelia was breathing deeply. She stared into Angel's eyes and sighed contentedly. She could get used to this. They both lay back on the bed, wrapping their arms around each other. Neither of them wanted to ever move from this position, they were both so comfortable together. They lay there, not sleeping, not talking, but not needing anything more. The two of them were content with relaxing together, away from any worries hat existed in the real world. It was nice to just forget about all the bad things that had happened and absorb the love.  
  
A long time passed before either of them moved. Cordelia was the first to attempt to disentangle herself, realising that it was late and she should go home. Angel growled softly when she tried to remove herself from his arms. He was already half asleep and had still not completely recovered from everything that had happened during the day. Realising that Cordelia intended on going home, Angel started to get up, offering to drive her. She pushed him back down, saying that she would be fine, and he would be better resting. He didn't want to argue with her and ruin their peace, so he lay back down, where she kissed him goodnight. She promised to return in the morning.  
  
* * *  
  
Cordelia had never intended on going straight to her apartment, she still had unfinished business. She had to speak to Wesley. Although she felt that she was betraying Angel in a way, she could not bear to know that another of her friends was in so much pain. Even though she knew what he had done, she also knew that he was a good person inside and he had to be saved before it was too late. She made her way to his apartment on foot, thinking things through as she went. Her family was finally coming back together, but they would not be happy without Connor and Wesley back, even if Angel did not realise that right now.  
  
Wesley's apartment building drew into sight after a while, she had enjoyed her walk and was pleased with herself for not resorting to transporting herself through supernatural means. When she arrived at Wesley's door, she knocked several times, with no answer. She called out through the door, but there was no response. Sensing that something was wrong, she knew that she would have to go inside. Unlike Angel, she did not have to kick down the door, she could simply transport herself inside. Not knowing what to expect, she prepared to land herself into the apartment.  
  
When she materialised a few seconds later, she saw the broken man staring straight at her from the couch. He did not even move when she appeared in front of him. Her first thought was that he was dead, but she saw him moving slightly. She then thought that he was drunk and in some sort of form of unconsciousness, but she saw no evidence to support that theory.  
  
"Wesley?" she asked tentatively. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Mmm," was the only response. At least he was reacting to her, she thought.  
  
"Wesley!" she walked over to him. "Wesley, talk to me." She shook him.  
  
"Why would you want to talk to me?" the self-pity in his voice made her melt. "I'm a bad person, I just bring about bad things."  
  
"Wesley, that is not true." She refused to let him retreat into himself, scared that he would harm himself in such a way. "You just had some bad luck. But I know you, you're a good man, you can get through this." He shook his head. "We want you back Wesley, we need you."  
  
"No, you all made it perfectly clear."  
  
"I need you, I love you," she stared deep into his eyes, that looked blankly back.  
  
He stared at her for a few seconds, hearing the words repeated in his brain. I love you. Why would she say this if it wasn't true? At this point, he broke down, crying on her shoulder. She just held him in her arms, stroking the back of his head as he wept. "You're gonna be fine, just let it all out. It's okay."  
  
Less than half an hour later, his tears began to dry up; this outburst had obviously been building up for a while. Cordelia wiped the wetness off his face. "You feel any better?"  
  
"A bit." She smiled at him. "Thanks for coming."  
  
"I know you'd do the same for me." Wesley could not quite imagine Cordelia in the same position. "What happened, Wes? You weren't like this when you left this morning."  
  
A grave look came over his face. "I thought I could help bring Angel his son back. I didn't know what else to do. It seems that I betrayed his trust somehow and now I have only made things worse."  
  
"I don't think you could have made things worse than they were."  
  
"I tried to help, but the boy has been brought up to hate Angel. Nothing I said got through to him. I don't think Angel will ever get him back." Cordelia sighed at this, the family would never be complete.  
  
Just then, the phone started ringing. Wesley mad no move to answer it. Cordelia took charge, "should I answer that, or do you want to let the machine pick up?" Wesley started at this, he knew it was probably Lilah. He had no intention of letting Cordelia hear her voice on the phone or via the machine. He stood up and reached over, picking up the phone.  
  
"Hello." He was not wrong, it was Lilah. She was calling once again to offer him that job. This time, he had made up his mind. "I'm definitely not interested. Don't call here ever again." He slammed the phone back on the receiver.  
  
"Who was that?" Cordelia was shocked by the display.  
  
"Damn telemarketers."  
  
"Wasn't that a bit harsh?"  
  
"They'll get over it."  
  
"Yeah, people get over things, in time. You know, Angel will forgive you. He has a good heart and he'll see that we need you back."  
  
Wesley wanted to believe her, but it was too much hope for him to handle right now. He would just take one day at a time and work from there.  
  
Cordelia smiled at Wesley, who managed to weakly smile back. "I think things just might turn out alright."  
  
THE END 


End file.
